When you take a pro bono case, you reduce the access to justice gap in our community and provide a voice to the voiceless. You have the opportunity to change someone’s life forever. Here are five ways the Pro Bono Project can help you.
- Support. Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada provides support to every pro bono volunteer. Pro bono attorneys receive a mentor, sample pleadings, forms, and training materials. Legal Aid Center does everything in its power to make taking a case easy and rewarding.
- CLE credits abound. Legal Aid Center offers free live and on-demand CLE courses on numerous topics, including federal 1983 claims, family law, representing children in dependency court, consumer litigation, immigration, and guardianship. In addition, pro bono attorneys receive one hour of CLE credit for every three hours spent on a pro bono matter, up to four credits.
- Free malpractice insurance. Legal Aid Center provides malpractice insurance to pro bono volunteers for all pro bono matters taken through Legal Aid Center’s Pro Bono Project.
- Expand. Taking a pro bono case allows an attorney to expand their practice by learning a new area of law. Through their volunteer efforts, pro bono attorneys expand their presence in the legal community, meeting with fellow pro bono attorneys and judges. In addition, pro bono volunteers expand their presence in the non-legal community.
- Mental health. The daily grind of legal practice can, at times, be exhausting. Pro bono work can help you take a break from the daily grind, reinvigorating your mind. Pro bono work is like a breath of fresh air. So why not take a breath, take a pro bono case, and get paid in smiles and good vibes?
You can be the change.
About this article: This article was originally published in the “Five Things” issue of Communiqué (January 2023), the official publication of the Clark County Bar Association. See https://clarkcountybar.org/member-benefits/communique-2023/communique-january-2023/.
About the author
Michael Wendlberger, Esq. is the Director of the Pro Bono Project at Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada. The Pro Bono Project pairs volunteer attorneys with screened clients in the areas of family, consumer, landlord tenant, civil rights, immigration, bankruptcy, and other areas of law.
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